OG Constitution
=Article I - Mission Statement= Battlestar Galactica, and its associated books, released by Tor Books, Titian Books, and Dynamite Entertainment, have a very clear imagination of the humanity fight against the Cylons. Believing in the spirit of their vision of the future, the members of the Omega Group strive to provide a safe, fun and interactive base for the creative use of writing skills and character development by utilizing currently available Internet mediums for the purpose of simulation gaming in a Battlestar Galactica environment. Our goal is to help each member to look beyond, to reach within themselves and help them expand their imaginations and literary abilities to unleash the passion and potential that lives deep within each of us and carry on that vision in an interactive role playing community. =Article II - Fleet Structure= Pending Review by the Council Chairman' =Article III - Rights and Responsibilities= Some members of Omega Group may fall into more than one category. All members enjoy the rights and responsibilities of Section 1 as all are players on some simm somewhere in the fleet. Section 1 - General Players #All players have the right to have an unresolved dispute mediated and resolved by the committee known as the Judge Advocate General. ##No Omega Group player will use the threat of a JAG investigation to intimidate other players. JAG shall have the right to determine penalties for players/COs/OGCS members in cases where they have unnecessarily used the threat of JAG investigation to intimidate other players. #All players have the right to have the constitution and by-laws applied to him or her in a fair and even manner, no different than any other player in the fleet. #All players have the responsibility to follow the chain of command; questions surrounding the interpretation of rules or any proposals to introduce new aspects to OG canon should be addressed from which ever level in the chain of command a player occupies to the next level and through that following level to the next level and so forth. The chain of command is outlined in Article II. #All players have the responsibility of creating original characters which are not established Battlestar Galactica characters or relatives thereof, nor already created Omega Group characters or relatives thereof without the permission of the creator of the Omega Group character. #All players shall leave the determination of the rank of their character to someone above the player in the chain of command so as to ensure an equitable ranking system across the fleet. A player shall not have the rank of their character lowered when transferring from one OG simm to another without the consent of the player or for just cause. A player reviving a former OG character shall be subject to the same restrictions as a new character and the rank shall be determined by the CO with that in mind. #All players shall post to any simm in which they are a member at least once per week unless they are on a leave of absence or the simm CO has made other arrangements. #All players will refrain from the unsolicited recruitment of other Omega Group members to play on their OG simm or any simm outside of OG. #All players will comply with the rating of simms and refrain from using profanity or sexuality in excess to that which has been used in the Battlestar Galactica shows and books when making their posts. #All players will respect the role of a simm CO and not start new missions or significantly alter the plot of the simm without the permission or direction of the CO. #All players will recognize the restraints of Battlestar Galactica and OG canon and will not create unusual and atypical classes of ships, types of weapons and alien creatures without the approval of the OGCS. #A player in OG is allowed to be an active member of no more than 6 simms across OG. Anyone who posts to the simm at least once every 3 weeks is considered an active member of that simm and should be reported in the CO's monthly report. At the discretion of the CO, a player may control or 'own' secondary characters or NPCs on the simm but the player must designate which is his primary character for purposes of promotions, awards, and simm reports. #All players will show respect for the characters of other players and shall not use them in a fashion that would not be condoned by or has not been approved by the player controlling the character in question. #All players who wish to resign their character or position will do so by informing the next person in the chain of command, they will not announce their resignation by posting to a public forum such as the simm mailing list, the OG COs list, the OG Forums and so on. #All players will try to resolve any disputes with other players in a respectful manner and will try to resolve them first with the other player and their with the next person in the chain of command before taking action with the committee known as the Judge Advocate General. ##All players joining Omega Group should keep in mind that OG is an online internet-based literary community and, although a military structure is implemented, our primary purpose is fun and the creative pursuit of literary writing. #All players will refrain from starting petitions or spamming mailing lists or other means of communication in order to advance their position on a particular issue. In order to make things manageable for those players who volunteer their time to help run the fleet, all concerns and proposals should be directed through the chain of command. #All players have the right to take a leave of absence from their game(s) and/or position(s), without fear of loss of rank, when they have real life commitments to which they must attend. #All players will participate in Omega Group with the primary aim of having fun. #All players shall agree to the terms of the Omega Group Constitution and as such shall play in any Omega Group simms within the restrictions laid out in this document and shall also enjoy the rights laid out in this document. Section II - Simm COs #A Simm CO shall be required to complete and pass command academy, develop a website for his or her simm and obtain a crew of 5, in addition to the CO, making a total of 6, before the simm can be declared 'active'. If, after being declared active, any of these conditions cease to be met, the simm shall be declared inactive until such time as the conditions are again met. #Simm COs have the right to administer their games as they see fit so long as they do not violate the terms of this constitution and its by-laws. This includes the right to demote or remove players from his or her simm and to set the scope and nature of the plot of their simm. ##The demotion or removal of a player shall be reported to the committee known as the Judge Advocate General as well as the Omega Group Chief of Personnel so as to keep an updated record. #Simm COs have the right to set the ranks of their crew up to and including the rank of Major; further promotions shall be approved by the TFCO. #Simm COs have the right to create and award their players with special citations created by the CO. #Simm COs shall not permanently damage, destroy, change the class of or provide a change in the specifications of the class, as defined by Omega Group, of their in character ship or starbase without the approval of their TFCO. #Simm COs shall not destroy or otherwise do anything to effect any base, ship or other simm that currently exists in Omega Group, including mothballs. To that end, any effect on one simm taking place in the gaming environment of another shall only occur with the consent of all effected Simm COs. "Effect" shall be taken to mean anything that changes the backstory or nature of the simm such as the location, status, whereabouts, etc. #Simm COs shall have the final responsibility for recruiting members of their simm and shall do so within the restrictions set by this constitution. #Simm COs shall direct any applications to their simm or existing players on their simm which do not attain quality posting standards to an Academy established for training purposes under this constitution or remove them from their simm. #No player shall command more than one ship in Omega Group. #In order to receive command, all Simm COs shall agree to obey the Omega Group Constitution. COs are also responsible for ensuring that all players on their simm are aware of the Constitution, the rights they enjoy therein and the responsibilities of the Simm CO. #Simm COs shall have the right to conduct their game as either a play-by-forum, play-by-post, or a play-by-email platform. If a CO wishes to change from one platform to another, the CO must seek approval from his or her TFCO. ##Other platforms may be authorized on a probationary basis by the relevant TFCO and DivCO for a period of three months, during which time the TFCO, TFXO and DivCO shall all closely follow and monitor the progress of the simm. Should the platform be successful, the OGCS may allow it as an option for Simm COs by by-law. The by-law may impose additional restrictions with respect to the circumstances under which the platform may be permitted. The three month probation period shall be extended if a by-law to allow the platform is under consideration until the completion of discussion on the proposed by-law and may also be extended by up to an additional six months by the relevant TFCO and DivCO if the trial has been inconclusive. #Simm COs who wish to have their ship visit a base contained in another OG simm, shall have the responsibility of contacting the Base CO and undertaking any procedures that the Base CO may require for interaction of the two simms. Should the requesting Simm CO be unable or unwilling to comply with the requirements of the Base CO he or she shall visit another OG base or, alternatively, interact with an NPC base. #Simm COs shall file a monthly report to their TFCO, in the form prescribed by their TFCO, no later than the 4th of each month. #A Simm CO that resigns from his or her position(s) shall be barred from taking a new command in OG for 90 days in order to allow for a "cooling off" period during which the player can re-evaluate his or her ability to command. Should a Simm CO resign in a public area, as is prohibited by the constitution, an additional six months shall be added to the cooling off period. ##Notwithstanding the above, a Simm CO may rescind his or her resignation within 24 hours and face no penalty. #Notwithstanding any provisions in the by-laws restricting the command of certain types of vessels, a TFCO may award command of a simm to the XO or another crew member when a CO resigns or is removed. Such a CO will be required to complete any requirements laid out in this section, if they are not already completed, immediately after his/her assuming the role of CO. Section III - Task Group Staff Members #Task Force staff members shall assist the TFCO in the administration of the Task Force as defined by the TFCO himself or herself. #Notwithstanding any other role a member of a TF staff may have in Omega Group, he or she will be primarily charged with his or her TF staff role and will be subject to his or her TFCO for the purposes of the chain of command. Section IV - Task Force COs Summary of TFCO responsibilities In general, the Task Force Commanding Officer is the in character and administrative or OOC leader of their task force. The COs of the Task Force can look to their TF CO for guidance and advice, and expect from their CO a person who will listen to them with all matters concerning their individual simms. Specific TFCO Responsibilities #TFCOs shall be a member of the OGCS and shall not occupy any other OGCS-level position except on an acting or emergency basis until a qualified person for the position can be found. #TFCOs have the right to reject any applications for players or COs coming to his or her TF. Any rejected applications will be forwarded to his or her Division CO to determine whether or not to wholly reject them, pass them to another Task Force, or to send them to the OG Academy. #TFCOs have the right to administer their Task Force as they see fit, including the right to chose their own TF staff, within the confines of this constitution and its by-laws. #TFCOs have the right to vote on all matters that come before the Omega Group Command Staff, in casting these votes a TFCO shall take into account not only his or her opinion on the matter but also the interests of his or her Task Force which he or she represents on the SFA. #TFCOs may create an operational plan for their Task Force which shall be approved by their staff and ratified by their Division CO. #TFCOs have the responsibility to work closely with their TFXO (and, if applicable TF2XO) who should be treated as a TFCO-in-waiting and trained and educated as such. #TFCOs have the responsibility to submit a monthly report to their Division CO, in the form prescribed by the Sparta Fleet Admiralty, no later than the 10th of each month. #TFCOs have the responsibility to build and maintain a website for their Task Force. #TFCOs have the responsibility to advertise for their Task Force, and to assist in the recruiting of new players for simms within their Task Force. #TFCOs have the responsibility to bring to the attention of the relevant DivCO any and all suggestions and ideas made by members of their Task Force that have been approved by the TFCO, for possibility of becoming SF canon. #TFCOs have the right to give initial approval for major changes to simms (including ships/starbases, technology, and specification alterations) while waiting for final approval from their Division Commanding Officer. #TFCOs have the responsibility to attend any Fleet Staff meetings when held, unless other arrangements are made. #TFCOs have the responsibility to encourage COs to participate in Sparta Fleet by setting a good example. This includes sending news articles, HoH submissions, IRC, MBs, and voting for SF. #TFCOs have the responsibility to participate on the Fleet Staff mailing list and in the Fleet Staff forums to the best of their ability. #TFCOs have the responsibility to vote for OG as often as possible, daily is preferred. #TFCOs have the responsibility to keep their Division COs and the Fleet CnC updated on any simm changes in their Task Force. #TFCOs have the responsibility to ensure that training is provided for all new Simm COs within their Task Force. #TFCOs have the responsibility to add COs they have removed or who have resigned to the CO probation list and note the circumstances of their departure. A TFCO also has the right to refer a CO who has resigned to JAG if he/she feels the circumstances of the departure merits a longer probation than the standard defined in the constitution. Section V - Division COs Pending Review by the Council Chairman Section VI - Omega Group Command Staff Pending Review by the Council Chairman =Article V - Committees of the Fleet= Section I - Method of creation, and powers of, committees #There shall be several standing committees of Omega Group, which will be outlined by the Constitution in this article and whose powers and membership will be defined in the same. #There may be additional committees created from time-to-time by the OGCS by means of by-law. Section II - Judge Advocate General Sub-section I - Mission Statement The members of JAG shall define and amend, by unanimous consent, a mission statement to guide their actions which is in the same spirit as the mission statement of Omega Group as a whole. Sub-section II - Membership #JAG shall have seven members, as follows: ##a chair, also known as the "President of the Fleet Court" or "JAG CO", who shall not otherwise be entitled to sit on the OGCS but shall become a non-voting member of the OGCS by virtue of his or her position as JAG CO ##five members, also known as "Assistant Judge Advocates General", none of which shall be members of the OGCS. ##one non-voting advisory member, who shall be a member of the OGCS, and who will advise JAG when a matter is outside of JAG's jurisdiction, either due to real life legal implications or it being an external matter, such issues will be referred to a member of Omega Group Command Staff to deal with personally. #The members of the committee, also known as "JAG" or "the tribunal" or "The Fleet Court", shall be recommended by the Omega Group Command Staff or JAG CO, upon consultation with the OGCS. Sub-section III - Proceedings #JAG is responsible for ensuring the fair and equitable enforcement of the Constitution and related by-laws. #JAG shall consider any and all matters brought to its attention by any member of Omega Group. #The specifics of JAG proceedings shall be laid out in an Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) which will be created and amended as a by-law of this constitution.